Ceramic Coating Opinions
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SQRRRL
SILVER Star
One year down for me also and I am still satisfied; so far. I think the real test will be 2+ years to see if it still is legit at what it claims. It's too expensive to only get a couple years out of IMO. It will have to impress me at year 3 to make me a believer. That being said I got my 2018 Denali HD done the week I bought it and will be getting my ZL1 done in 2 weeks so I guess that speaks for itself also.
One thing I will NOT be doing is the expensive window treatments that are supposed to be like Rain X on steroids. That was a fail on the 200. It's not as good as fresh RainX/Aquapel etc. It doesn't fade as fast as those options do but it is way to expensive to fade as much as it has in less than a year. I can Rain X every month without much effort and have superior viz.
One thing I will NOT be doing is the expensive window treatments that are supposed to be like Rain X on steroids. That was a fail on the 200. It's not as good as fresh RainX/Aquapel etc. It doesn't fade as fast as those options do but it is way to expensive to fade as much as it has in less than a year. I can Rain X every month without much effort and have superior viz.
Bringing this thread BTT, looking for more long-term updates.
Prior to this, I was not a big believer in the whole ceramic coating thing. Two weeks ago I picked up a 2012 Mazda Miata GT PRHT, with only 33K miles on it. The paint (Liquid Silver color) was in great shape, but the seller had it parked outside under a big oak tree, so I knew it was gonna need a full treatment. When I got the car home, I noticed a small "Simonize GlassCoat" sticker on the driver's window, and found a flyer in the glovebox. Hmmm... The next day I gave it a foam bath then wiped it down with a microfiber fluffy drying towel, and I was shocked at how shiny the car was. Almost no perceivable scratches, it really looked great, and was very smooth. Not bad for a 7 year old car. Huh, maybe there is something to this ceramic stuff after all. This was obviously a dealer up-sell package when the car was new, but I have to admit, it seems to be holding up remarkably well.
I called Simonize for advice on keeping the coating maintained. They said I could clay and polish it all I wanted, that the only thing that could remove the coating was wet sanding. No re-treatment needed or recommended.
Gave the car a full foam/wash/clay/wash/polish treatment today. Wow it looks awesome, I wish my Cruiser was this shiny (it's pretty close). I'm gonna try some of that new Meguiars new Hybrid Ceramic Wax stuff tomorrow as a top coat.
Has anybody here every tried any of those DIY ceramic coatings? A friend just bought a brand new GMC pickup, we're gonna give it a go.
Prior to this, I was not a big believer in the whole ceramic coating thing. Two weeks ago I picked up a 2012 Mazda Miata GT PRHT, with only 33K miles on it. The paint (Liquid Silver color) was in great shape, but the seller had it parked outside under a big oak tree, so I knew it was gonna need a full treatment. When I got the car home, I noticed a small "Simonize GlassCoat" sticker on the driver's window, and found a flyer in the glovebox. Hmmm... The next day I gave it a foam bath then wiped it down with a microfiber fluffy drying towel, and I was shocked at how shiny the car was. Almost no perceivable scratches, it really looked great, and was very smooth. Not bad for a 7 year old car. Huh, maybe there is something to this ceramic stuff after all. This was obviously a dealer up-sell package when the car was new, but I have to admit, it seems to be holding up remarkably well.
I called Simonize for advice on keeping the coating maintained. They said I could clay and polish it all I wanted, that the only thing that could remove the coating was wet sanding. No re-treatment needed or recommended.
Gave the car a full foam/wash/clay/wash/polish treatment today. Wow it looks awesome, I wish my Cruiser was this shiny (it's pretty close). I'm gonna try some of that new Meguiars new Hybrid Ceramic Wax stuff tomorrow as a top coat.
Has anybody here every tried any of those DIY ceramic coatings? A friend just bought a brand new GMC pickup, we're gonna give it a go.
SQRRRL
SILVER Star
I’ve had my rig coating since 11/11/17 and going strong. Don’t recall the name of the product.
It’s fun to watch snow slide off all at once.
She is blizzard pearl is blinding to the eye she is so shiny. Crazy. I love the stuff.
It’s fun to watch snow slide off all at once.
She is blizzard pearl is blinding to the eye she is so shiny. Crazy. I love the stuff.
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We did ceramic pro last fall on my wife’s Tesla. It is awesome! Worth every penny. I could use “no rinse wash and shine” for car washes all winter in my garage. Dirt just falls off and it always looks freshly waxed. I’m going to have my LX done soon.
Although I had never used a Ceramic product before, about two years ago I applied CarPro’s CQuartz UK to all four of our cars. The prep is the worst part, the actual application of the product is fairly straightforward. Since then I have applied their Reload upkeep product on a couple times a year. Like many have said, ceramic coats are like another layer of clear coat, kind of a sacrificial layer to protect the real paint. My experience is that it is definitely not a long term product, with a lifespan of 2-4 years, depending on garage kept vs outside car, etc, even with the Reload. The difference is that you can buy the coating kit for $70-100 depending on which one you choose, and then invest some sweat into it, compared to spending significantly more than that to have someone else do it. All depends on your view of time vs money. I will never have another car without some kind of ceramic coat, it really has made a big difference in keeping ours cars clean, etc.
The final result will only be as good as the prep. Spend a full detailing the new car and remember that any flaws on the paint after prep will stay there forever.
Once prepped, then remember that the ceramic coating needs to be put on thin and evenly. Any streaks will remain. Leave the car in a garage at least overnight to assure that it dries properly.
You can certainly wax the car afterwards to enhance gloss.
Not ceramic, but thought this was interesting, mostly the 10yr warranty + "self-healing": Paint Protection Film Ultra
All the new Miata folks are all about having PPF installed as soon as you buy, some take it to the installer straight from the dealer. Very expensive process, but if you watch the videos on YouTube you see why, very labor intensive and it takes a lot of practice and skill. Yes, it does self-heal (minor scratches), all you need to do is hit it with a heat gun, it's pretty cool.
All the stuff is just a waste of money I use turtle wax silicon wax product spray it on the car at lease twice a month and wash my car couple times per month. LX 570 is always parked outside paint looks like new I if I noticed any bird crap on it I wipe it off and I spray the silicon wax , you guys are paying way way way way too much for this bull****. Lexus even puts self healing clearcoat on the LX people are just making money off of you
SQRRRL
SILVER Star
Works for me.
All the stuff is just a waste of money I use turtle wax silicon wax product spray it on the car at lease twice a month and wash my car couple times per month. LX 570 is always parked outside paint looks like new I if I noticed any bird crap on it I wipe it off and I spray the silicon wax , you guys are paying way way way way too much for this bulls***. Lexus even puts self healing clearcoat on the LX people are just making money off of you
I used to feel this way, until I got a car that has been treated, now I'm impressed. I'm just glad someone else paid for it. Now that I've given the car a thorough wash, polish, and retreat, it's very easy to take care of.
Have a car treated, then get back to us.
If I lived somewhere like Florida where washing my car twice a month is possible, I would likely share your perspective. That is what I used to do when I lived in warmer states. However, that is not really feasible here in New England for a good part of the year. I am lucky to get our cars clean a couple times during the winter. I wish I had a garage set up to wash cars in it like some folks have up here.All the stuff is just a waste of money I use turtle wax silicon wax product spray it on the car at lease twice a month and wash my car couple times per month. LX 570 is always parked outside paint looks like new I if I noticed any bird crap on it I wipe it off and I spray the silicon wax , you guys are paying way way way way too much for this bulls***. Lexus even puts self healing clearcoat on the LX people are just making money off of you
Good for you. Nice to know there are people here that don't care about their paint. How are you getting the bird poop off? You do know that along with etching your paint, it usually includes sand so it scratches your paint. The only proper way of removing bird poop is to get it very wet, let it soak a while and then "pinch" it off - never wipe it off.All the stuff is just a waste of money I use turtle wax silicon wax product spray it on the car at lease twice a month and wash my car couple times per month. LX 570 is always parked outside paint looks like new I if I noticed any bird crap on it I wipe it off and I spray the silicon wax , you guys are paying way way way way too much for this bulls***. Lexus even puts self healing clearcoat on the LX people are just making money off of you
Is your cruiser 040 super white or the blizzard? I can't tell from the picture. My super white takes about 6 months between waxing to turn brownish and oxidize. If the ceramic coating will prevent that, I'm going for it.
I’m really not sure what to do with my paint...
It’s nearly 12 years old...scratched up regularly...was failing on the skyward-facing surfaces...so I wrapped the roof and hood.
I worry about long-term results of any clear coating because I see so many clear-coats bubbling up on cars long before the paint does. Always seemed like a loser long-term...but I don’t know.
Wondering what the best course would be for my old, battered paint at this point.
I’ve clay-barred, etc in the past...but it always ends up pretty bad again...
I’m less concerned with aesthetics as I am with continued longevity & rust protection, etc. most scratches do not penetrate to metal...and likely not even to primer in most cases...but not sure what I want to do or what I SHOULD do.
That is exactly how i feel. I regularly find spots of discoloration that goes away with a little swirl remover and a DA but this white requires almost as much work as black.
Honestly with yours, I would go after it with some swirl remover and a DA orbital. Any scratches you can't feel with your fingernail you should be able to get out. I'm not going for showroom quality but just trying to maintain what I have.
Ya, that’s what I’ve done before...and will probably do again.
One thing I do think would help is a more routinely waxed surface since I think it could reduce the “grab” and “dig” of brush and twigs...
In the end, I’m pretty impressed with the tenacity of the factory paint. My truck won’t fit in my garage...so it’s sun sun sun.
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SQRRRL
SILVER Star
Blizzard Pearl. 2013 and no brown spots.